I'm back!

Well, I've been a bad blogger but a busy blacksmith for the last year. Lots and lots of ironwork has been produced at Bella Ironworks since my last blog post. Here's a picture of one of the projects that we've completed in the last year. There's over 200' of railing at this one house. We also did two fire screens, two gates, strap hinges and other smaller work for this beautiful home.

Driveway Gate

Every artist has their favorite pieces, and this is one of mine. It's an Art Nouveau inspired driveway gate. I love to take cold, hard steel and hammer it into flowing, organic shapes. The forgings are reminiscent of the ironwork produced in europe in the 1900's but the overall design is all modern.

Log Holder

Now that they've got a stylish fire screen and a set of custom fire tools, some clients choose to complete the set with accessories like this log holder. This one features forged feet, rivets and a sheet metal bottom to catch any loose bark and keep the hearth clean.

Fireplace Tools

It's not unusual for a client to commission a firescreen from me and then realize that their old "Home Depot Special" fire tools just don't make the grade anymore. A beautiful firescreen deserves an equally beautiful set of tools to complete the look. The tools should be functional and feel good in your hand. They can hang on the wall or be displayed on their own stand. A typical set includes three to four pieces: poker, shovel, broom and (sometimes) tongs.

This set was designed to accompany a traditional firescreen with scrolls. It has a poker, shovel and a natural bristle broom. The handles are curved to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, and the shaft is long enough to reach all the way to the back of the fireplace, making them easy to use. This set was designed to be displayed on their own stand. The stand has a weighted bottom to keep it from tipping over and scroll details to complement the firescreen.

Iron Handrail

Here's a handrail I made with a hand forged volute and scroll brackets. (The volute is the curl at the end.) I've used a molded cap for the rail, but unlike many other handrails, my handrail has a hand forged volute. Lots of fabricators buy clunky, cheap, pre-fabricated volutes and weld them on, but they never look as nice as a hand forged volute. What's the difference? Quality. This hand forged volute has a graceful taper, smooth lines and solid material, and it's forged from a continuous piece of steel. You just can't buy that from a catalogue. And those brackets look great too (If I don't say so myself!)

My first post

This is a gate I finished recently for some clients who love the south west. It's iron, copper and stainless steel.